


A Speeding Influence

by MomoMoon115



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Fluff, Future!Barry, M/M, Past Child Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Set in Legends of Tomorrow, Young!Len
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-29
Updated: 2015-11-29
Packaged: 2018-05-03 21:29:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5307524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MomoMoon115/pseuds/MomoMoon115
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Len tries to change his past in order to affect his future, but he didn't expect Barry Allen to be the one to stop him and leave him with hope for a better future ahead.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Speeding Influence

**Author's Note:**

> This was a prompt on tumblr~

Len reached up to touch his younger self face betraying everything he’s ever told himself to keep hidden. His hand had barely grazed the blue dinosaur pajamas when a strong wind blew and Len stopped. His younger self turned and Len thought everything was moving in slow motion. He looked up to find Barry?

“Scarlet!” his younger self whispered loudly with bright eyes.

Len’s face hardened as he looked between the two. His younger self looked happy to see Barry who was in the flash suit and had his cowl down.

“Hey there, bud.” Barry swooped down and lifted Len’s younger self into his arms.

Len’s brows furrowed as he heard his younger self squeal in glee. What had Barry done?

“I brought something for you.” Barry smiled as he held out the biggest chocolate bar younger Len had ever seen. “I know you’re responsible, Leonard. You’ll share with Lisa and make sure daddy doesn’t catch you, okay.”

Len looked at his younger self as he nodded. Thinking about it, Len did remember this. Sort of. He only remembered telling Lisa about the biggest chocolate bar ever. He’d shared of course and he’s dad had almost beat him after drunkenly looking through the trash and having the wrapper fall out. It was a bad decision on Len’s part.

He saw Barry pull him into a hug, but Barry’s face fell.

“Len, I need to talk to you.”

“What about?” younger Len asked.

“I have to leave.” Barry said sadly. The kid always wore his emotions on his sleeve. Len could tell how much it pained Barry to say those words. It made Len wonder how long Barry knew his younger self.

Younger Len paused for a few seconds. He looked down at the chocolate bar and Len saw his younger self’s hands trembling.

“But, you’ll be back?” Len hated the innocence and naivety his younger self exhibited. In a few years that Leonard Snart would cease to exist.

“You probably won’t see me for a long long time, but we’ll see each other again.”

“How long?” it was almost a whine.

Barry chuckled softly. “If I could I wouldn’t leave you.”

“I know. you’ve helped me all week. You saved me from dad.”

Barry smiled softly as he brought his forehead to younger Len’s.

“I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too, Lenny.”

“Only Lisa calls me Lenny.” younger Len objected. Len smirked at his younger self’s actions.

“I know, but it’s worth a try right?”

Len laughed lightly. “But, Scarlet. Who’s that man over there? He was crying.”

Barry glanced to Len. He’d been careful to ignore him the whole time he was here, but now Len could see his full face of emotions. Barry was sad almost, devastated. He looked older, stressed.

“He’s the reason I’m leaving.”

“Then he is bad!” Len gasped as he turned to glare at his older self.

“No, he’s not, Leonard. I don’t want to leave you, but this man needs me too.”

“More than I do?” younger Len looked at Barry with watery eyes.

Barry nodded down at him.

Younger Len sighed as he looked at his older self. “I think he needs your help, too.”

“You’re incredibly mature, Leonard.” Barry whispered.

“Goodbye, Scarlet.”

“Goodbye, Leonard.” Barry whispered before he flashed out of there grabbing Len.

Len hadn’t realized they were in the middle of a deserted park until he had a chance to look around. He’d need to get used to the state of confusion whenever the Flash ‘flashed’ him anywhere. He turned to Barry with a glare once he got his footing. Barry was no longer in the Flash suit, he’d changed into jeans and a jacket, actually that looked like one of his jackets.

“What are you doing here.” It came out as more of a statement than a question.

Barry stared at Len before motioning to a park bench. “We need to talk.”

Len narrowed his eyes. It wasn’t their usual banter, but Len was furious.

“I already know what you’re going to ask.” Barry started. “Messing with the timeline can lead to horrible things, Len.”

Len? “I wasn’t aware we were on a nickname basis, Barr.”

Barry laughed. “Actually you despise the name, Barr.”

Len raised an eyebrow. He’d never used that name in his life let alone to Barry. He didn’t even know he had an opinion on it.

“Let me explain. I stopped you from trying to change yourself because I know that you don’t know the repercussions of changing the timeline.”

“And you do?”

“I have some experience with it.” Barry shrugged.

Len stared straight at Barry. He was fidgety, his eyes wouldn’t stop roaming over him.

“Can I just?” Barry asked before taking Len’s hand in his.

Len almost pulled his hand back. The touch wasn’t disliked, but Len had a thing about people outside of Lisa touching him. Combat was a different story, but Barry’s touch felt like that of Lisa’s and it made him a bit uncomfortable.

Barry ran his fingertips slowly over Len’s rough hands. Barry smiled as a memory came to the front of his mind, but his fingers continued to trace every line on Len’s left hand. Barry lifted it and it was as if they were lacing their hands together, but Barry froze when he didn’t feel familiar cool metal. He immediately dropped Len’s hand.

“S-sorry, I know at this time you-. Sorry.” Barry finished.

Len blinked at him, face still hard.

“A-anyway. I know that something bad will happen if you’d changed your past. History makes what you are today. I know I’ve told you you don’t have to let your past define you. What you’re thinking of doing, you can do as yourself now.”

“How selfish.”

Barry’s eyes snapped up to his.

“You literally just took away my one chance to make things right for myself and Lisa. Lisa’s scars, her suffering and heartbreak could’ve all be gone. Lisa could have had a better life."

Barry frowned. He knew Len was mentioning Lisa, but he was also including himself in his words as well. “Len, please, I would never do that  if I knew that you didn’t need to.”

“You don’t know anything about me, Barry.”

Barry bit his lip. “Actually, yes I do.”

Len’s eyebrows raised. “Okay, what do you think you know?”

“Your name is Leonard Snart. You middle name is Alexander, but you dropped it from your birth certificate after you found out your mom died because you didn’t want to taint and name she chose for you with the Snart name. You’re 6’1” and you hate that I’m an inch taller than you.” Barry smiled. “There are 3 sides to you. Leonard Snart, Captain Cold, and Lenny. You’d do absolutely anything for your family even if you sacrifice yourself. You have exactly 75 scars, 5 bullet wounds, quite a few knife wounds, 10 small tattoos and 6 big tattoos. You learned how to fight on the streets and used to be a prostitute to get money for yourself and Lisa.

You’re so against drugs and drug use because one of your old clients raped and forced you into an overdose. You survived because Lisa had called the police as it was happening. You developed your timeliness because of your father in order to get away and keep Lisa safe.You never finished high school despite perfect grades enough to get you into any university because Lisa was working to become a top notch figure skater.” Barry stopped to gauge Len’s reaction.

He almost laughed at Len’s face. His hard demeanor had slipped and his mouth was slightly open, eyes wide. Len seemed to notice his expressed and leered.

“But, more than all of that, there are a few things I want to say to you that you need to hear right now. Len, I need to tell you that you don’t need to change your past to affect your future. Everything that would have happened had you changed it can be what you are right now. Your highly intelligent, you live by a code, you can do good, Len. You do do good. You don’t need to change anything about yourself in your past because you are already changing your future. I know your talks with me are always in the back of your mind. You think about it all the time. Wonder if you actually can do it. I just want to tell you to have confidence in yourself. Take opportunities when they arise. You’ll get there, but it’ll take time. I’m sure you know this by now, but the reason Barry constantly speaks with you, works with you,  and reasons with you is because he believes in you. He sees what he would have become if Joe hadn’t taken him in and he wants to be to you what Joe was to him. Take that as you will, but know that Barry will always help you when you need it regardless of whether you want it or not. It’s in his nature and you know it. You can’t just push him away.”

Len nodded. He thought it was strange Barry was referring to himself in the third person, but his words were the pick me up he didn’t know he needed      

“How did you know all hat?”

Barry looked torn, it was obvious.

“You also have 5 kids, and your name is Leonard Alexander Allen.” Barry finished sheepishly.

Len raised an eyebrow he almost laughed. Almost. “So…”

“We’ve been married for 5 years?” Barry lifted his finger and flashed the silver band at Len.  

Len stared at it and understood what Barry had done earlier. “You think you’re married to me, Barry. Are you crazy?”

Barry chuckled. “I don’t think I am, Len. I know I am. We’ve been married for 5 years, together for 8.”

“You’re delusional, Kid. Why would you marry me?” Len laughed darkly.

Barry’s eyes grew hard. “Don’t you _ever_ , Len.”

Len’s eyes snapped to Barry at his gruff tone of voice.

“Don’t you _ever_ put yourself down like that.” Barry eyes bore straight into Len’s. “You’ve been the best thing to ever happen to me. You’re smart, handsome, sexy, and not to mention we have a hell of a good time in bed.”

Len smirked. “Oh, really.”

“You freak.” Barry smacked him lightly. “Our kids hate it.”

“So how’d I end up with 5 kids?”

“Two are biologically yours, twins, from Lisa. She was a surrogate for us. Michael is the older than Elisabeth by 3 minutes. They’re 6. Our other 3 kids are all adopted. Kids put into foster care because of abusive parents. Jeremy, Amara, and Henrietta. They’re all mixed raced too. It’s what you wanted in memory of your mom.”

Len listened to Barry words with hope in his heart. He willed his eyes not to grow watery, but he never dreamed that he’d end up with a family and a husband.

“Are they...?”

“They love you, Len. They’re perfectly okay and you’re a great father. Nothing like Lewis.  Plus, you’re the favorite un-strict father.”

“D-don’t lie to me, Barry.”

“I’d never lie about this to you Len. I love you too much to break your heart like this.” Barry cupped Len’s face.

Barry pressed his lips to Len’s in a soft, chaste kiss. Len hadn’t had a kiss so pure in years. It was innocent and full of love it hurt his heart that he didn’t have it now.

“It’ll take some effort to get to this point, Len. Don’t give up. See it through and it’ll be oth it for both you and Barry. Take a chance.” Barry said.

Len nodded.

“I have to go back now. You should meet up with Mick and the others.”

“How do you know this talk didn’t change the timeline.”

“Keep in mind that I love you. It’ll help you through tough times ahead.”  Barry said with a bright smile before he flashed away.


End file.
